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Cancer

Marriage Linked to Lower Risk of Urological Cancer Diagnosis and Improved Survival

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

A new study examining the effects of marriage on urological cancer diagnosis and survival has found a significant association between marital status and cancer outcomes. Patients diagnosed with bladder cancer, renal cell carcinoma, and upper tract urothelial carcinoma were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. The research found that married patients had a lower risk of being diagnosed with stage III/IV disease compared to unmarried patients, with a 6.4% lower risk (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.92-0.96, p<0.001). After adjusting for baseline differences, marriage was found to be an independent protective prognostic factor for cancer-specific survival (CSS), with a 19% lower risk of mortality (HR 0.81, 95% CI 0.79-0.83, p<0.001).

Key Takeaways:

  • Married patients had a 6.4% lower risk of being diagnosed with stage III/IV urological cancer compared to unmarried patients (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.92-0.96, p<0.001)
  • After propensity score matching, marriage was found to be an independent protective prognostic factor for cancer-specific survival (CSS), with a 19% lower risk of mortality (HR 0.81, 95% CI 0.79-0.83, p<0.001)
  • The study included a total of 162,544 patients, with a median follow-up period of 6.2 years (IQR 2.3-9.8 years)
  • Married patients accounted for 64.4% of the study population, while unmarried patients accounted for 35.6%
  • The researchers employed one-to-one propensity score matching to reduce baseline differences between married and unmarried groups
  • Multivariate Cox regression analysis and subgroup analysis were conducted to investigate the impact of marriage on cancer-specific survival (CSS)

Statistics:

  • 6.4% lower risk of stage III/IV disease in married patients compared to unmarried patients (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.92-0.96, p<0.001)
  • 19% lower risk of mortality in married patients with urological cancer compared to unmarried patients (HR 0.81, 95% CI 0.79-0.83, p<0.001)
  • 162,544 patients included in the study
  • 6.2 years median follow-up period (IQR 2.3-9.8 years)
  • 104,706 married patients (64.4% of the study population)
  • 57,838 unmarried patients (35.6% of the study population)

Sources:

  • Impact of marriage on diagnosis and survival in patients with urological cancers. Scientific Reports, 2025, 15(1):1-10. (Scientific Reports - http://www.nature.com/srep/index.html)
  • Public Health Clinical Center of Chengdu
  • Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database

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